Chapter 3

"Sigurado ka ba? Baka nailagay mo lang kung saan o naiwan mo sa locker mo," komento niya.

"Hindi. Sigurado akong nilagay ko iyon sa bulsa ko. What the hell?" Sigurado ako. Narito lang iyon kanina.

"Chill, hanapin na lang natin pagkatapos ng lunch. Ako muna ang magbabayad for you."

I pouted. "Thank you, Carol…"

"Maliit na bagay."

Nginitian ko siya at pinanood habang binabayaran niya ang pagkain namin. Pagkatapos ay umupo kami sa usual table namin at nagsimula nang kumain. Pero wala na akong gana. Hindi ako maka-focus sa pagkaing nasa harap ko dahil ang utak ko ay nag-iisip kung saan ko ba posibleng nawala ang wallet ko.

"Pumunta tayo sa guidance office pagkatapos," suhestiyon niya. I can admit, mukha akong kawawang bata na umiiyak dahil nawalan ng lobo. Eh, anong gagawin ko? I hate it when I lose something important. And I hate myself for losing it.

***

"R-red wallet with a heart pattern, ma'am. It has two thousand and some coins," I described. I bit my nails while apprehensively inquiring about our guidance counselor, who manages the lost and found as well. Using her index finger, she pushed down her eyeglasses on his nose bridge and glanced at me.

"Alliah Valleroso?" tanong niya habang may tinitingnan sa kaniyang kamay. Ah! I forgot I had my government IDs in there. "Y-yes, Ma'am!"

Then she gave me a folder, and I was a bit confused about what I was going to do with it.

"Write your name and signature so I can record that you finally received it," she stated. Tumango ako bago ko siya sinunod. Sa wakas! Nasa kamay ko na muli ang wallet ko!

"Don't be so happy, Miss Valleroso. You're just lucky today. Look at her..." Tinuro niya ang isang babae na umiiyak malapit doon sa potted plant. "...she lost her phone, and still it hasn't been found. So if I were you, take care of your things. Kung may halaga sa iyo ang isang bagay, hindi mo hahayaang mawala dahil poprotektahan mo. I don't want to see you here again, Miss Valleroso." 

“Opo, Ma’am. Salamat po ulit.”

She just smiled and closed the window.

"She's rude," Carol muttered.

"Ha? Bakit? Sa tingin ko, tama naman siya. If I value this wallet enough and am able to protect it at all costs, I won't lose it."

"Tsk, if someone wants to steal it from you, someone will seek a chance to do so. She'll probably make you think that it's your fault for not taking care of it when someone else is to blame because of that someone's desire to have what you had. That's gaslighting." Carol elaborated, warning me like a witch in movies. Nakakatakot talaga siya paminsanminsan. I don't know how deep she's digging with those words, but hell, that's too deep for me to understand. I even doubt myself for being a candidate for Summa Cum Laude. I think she has to be there, not me. She sounds more intelligent than me.

"Anyway, natutuwa akong nahanap mo na ang wallet mo."

I smiled when she immediately transformed into a kind and supportive best friend of mine.

"Sino sa tingin mo ang nakahanap nito, Carol?" tanong ko nang makabalik kami sa classroom.

"At ano naman ang pakialam natin doon? Magpasalamat na lang tayo kahit hindi natin siya kilala. Teka, hindi mo ba nakita ang pangalan niya sa logbook? The one who surrenders it."

I shrugged. "Na-excite akong makuha 'yong wallet ko kaya hindi ko nakita ang pangalan niya. Pero curious ako, I mean, he or she could have taken all the money, right?"

"That's why the guidance counselor told you that you're lucky. That someone may be rich and doesn't need money," she assumed.

"Baka nga. Mabuti na lang at naibalik sa akin dahil ayokong humingi muli kina dad. Nakakahiya." I sat down on my chair and looked at my wallet. Thank God, my allowance is still here!

"So that's you?" I looked at someone who approached me while also looking at my wallet. My face glowed when I saw him.

"So it's you."

Napatingin ako sa nagsalita. Halos malaglag ang puso ko nang makita ko ang mukha niya… Si Elton, kinakausap ako…

 I tucked my hair behind my ear and properly smiled at him. Shit. Nakalimutan kong mag-retouch.

"Me?" I asked modestly.

"Yeah. I saw your ID in your wallet. I found it at the gate when I entered the school. So it is yours. I see."

Napansin ko ang maliit na pagngiti niya, at hindi ko mapigilan mapangiti rin. And the fact that I was amazed by his low and husky voice—hindi ako makapaniwalang kinakausap niya ako. Nananaginip ba ako?

"So it's you..." I responded with the essence of joy and gratitude in my heart. Kanina lang ay gusto kong makilala kung sino nga ba ang mabuting taong nakapulot ng wallet ko at dinala sa lost and found section, at hindi ko alam na mabilis palang sumagot ang Diyos sa dalangin dahil nandito na siya sa harapan ko. Hindi ako makapaniwalang maliit ang mundo at siya ang nakapulot nito. "S-salamat," dagdag ko pa.

I heard him chuckle when he sat on his chair behind me. I am in awe when he moves closer to me and whispers, "Hindi ako tumatanggap ng basta thank you lang."

My eyes were shut when he sent those chills down my spine.

"A-ano palang gusto mo?"